Thursday, September 03, 2009

Confused

Each spring, everyone’s bouncing off the walls and trying to ride as soon as the outside temperature hits 40 degrees. They’ll risk gravel, flowing snowmelt and icy patches on the road just to get a cycling fix. They’ll drool over every false rumor of a dry trail. They’ll wear ear warmers, neoprene booties and three layers of clothing just to get out there on two wheels in poor conditions. I know, because I’m out there with them.

Then the first week of September arrives. The trails are firm and fast. The roads are the cleanest they’ll be all year. The temperature edges down toward 50—perfectly comfortable in tights and a light jacket—but the second the weather turns cloudy and looks like a few raindrops might fall, huge numbers of riders whither away and disappear into their houses. I know, because I suddenly have the trails mostly to myself on such weeknights.

So 50 degrees in early spring is cause for celebration, and 50 degrees in early fall is too cold?

I look at it this way: In two or three months, it'll be 50 degrees colder than it is right now.

11 comments:

That's because you can't look at the temperature in isolation. 50 degrees in September just feels different then 50 degrees in May. Just like a cold beer tastes better after a good workout on your bike than after a long day in the office.

Sept and Oct have always been my favorite time of the year to hit the trails. You can beat the scenery, smells and temps for a comfortable ride with friends. And the fact that you hardly ever run into other riders even makes it more fun. It's almost like you own the park.